Feed mechanism



(No Model.)

F. H. RICHARDS.

FEED MEGHANISM.

No. 452,431. Patented May 19,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

FRANCIS H.`RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ECKLEY B.COKE, OF DRIFTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

FEED IVIECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,431, dated May 19,18911 Application filed January 3, 1891. Serial No. 376,672. (No model.)

To all whom it may oonoerm of the mechanism herein shown and de- Be itknoWn that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, scribed, is the shaft or machineelement, for a citizen of the United States, residing at the actuatingof Which the feed mechanism Hartford, in the countyof Hartford andStateis provided. For driving the feed-shaft S5 55 5 of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new said shaft carries a driving-pulley 99, which anduseful Improvements in Feed Mechanis fitted to freely revolve on theshaft conism, of which the following is a specification. tiguous to thefixed collar 100. Fixed to the This invention relates to feed mechanismshaft immediately outside of the hub 101 of for actuating by poWer thefeed-shafts of the pulley 99 there is a friction-ring-sup- 6o Io heavymachines, such as large machine-tools porting disk 135, held in place onthe shaft and the like, wherein the movement of the by a key, as 134,and engaging on its outer shafts should be controlled by the hand of theperiphery Within the sliding friction-ring 131, operator. The inventionis in part in the the engagement of said disk and friction-ring natureof an improvement on the feed mechbeing effected by means of keys 136and 137, 65 I5 anism described in Letters Patent of the fitted into oneof said parts and sliding in United States No. 404,365, granted to meMay keyways in the other of said parts. The fric- 28, 1889. tion-ring131 corresponds to and engages with The application of my presentimprovea similar friction-ring 129,' which is secured to ments to thefeeding of the movable drillthe Web 102 of the Wheel 90' by means of 7ozo carrying beam of a large multiple drillingscrews 130, or in someother suitable manner. machine is shown and described in my ap- Thesliding friction-ring 131 is actuated for plication, Serial No. 330,989,filed February engaging and disengaging the ring 12) by 10, 1890. meansof the friction-ring disk 132, to the In the drawings accompanying andformouter edge of which disk said ring is secured 75 25 ing a part ofthis specication, Figure 1 is a by screws 133; plan view of a feed.mechanism embodying The disengagment of the friction-ring 131 mypresent improvements. Fig. 2 isa plan from the ring 129 is effected bymeans of View of the principal portions of the/feed springs 139 andplugs 138, which are carried mechanism, showing the parts .in adifferent in the hub of the disk 135'and bear against 8o 3o relativeposition. Fig. 3 is a view similar to the hub or central portion of thefriction-ring Fig. 2 of a portion of the mechanism, illuscarrier 132, aswill be understood from the trating a further change in the relativeposisectional portion of Fig. 1. The engagement tion of the operativedetails. Fig. a is a secof said friction-rings is effected by theshiption in line ct a, Fig; 1. Fig. 5 is a section in per-rod 127, whichis carried Within the hollow 85 35 line Z9 h, Fig. 1. Figs. G and 7 aresectional feed-shaft S5, and has at the left-hand end views in line o o,Fig. 1, illustrative of the opthereof the adj usting-nuts 140 and 141,said eration of certain details, hereinafter more rod being actuated byclutch-rod, actuating fully set forth. devices for imparting suitablelongitudinal Similar characters designate like parts in movementsthereto Within said hollow feed- 9o 4o all the figures. shaft. y

The frame-Work of my improved mechan- For actuating the shipper-rod toengage the ism will in practice generally be some part describedfriction-rings or friction-clutch two of the frame-Work of the machinein connecapparatuses are employed, one for effecting tion With which themechanism may be emthe firm or permanentengagement thereof, 95 45ployed; but the several operative details may and the other forcontrolling said engagement .be assembled upon a bed-plate A, providedby hand. The first of said apparatuses is with suitable bearings andsupports for said shown in sectional View at the right hand of operativeparts. The feed-shaft S5 is car- Figs. 1, 2, and 3. For the purposes ofthis ried in suitable bearings, as 13 and let, and rod-shiftingapparatus the collar 152 may be loo 5o carries aworm 7, meshing With theWormconsidered as fixed on the shaft 35, being Wheel 1.7 on the shaft B,which, in the' form splined thereto by the key or spline 153 andprevented by suitable means from longitudinal movement. The slidingsleeve 158, carried on the shaft 85, is connected with the rod 127 bymea-ns of a key 12S, working in the slot 160, formed in said shaft S5. Aspring 160, carried in the bore of said shaft at the righthand of therod 127 and reacting against the plug or screw 103, serves to throw thesaid rod toward the left hand. Between the normally-fixed collar 152 andthe sliding sleeve 158 there is lirmly mounted on the shaft S5 a carrier155, in which is pivoted at the points 157 the pair of clutch-dogs orlevers 156 150, whose shorter arms engage the left-hand end of thesleeve 15S, and whose longer arms eX- tend toward the right hand oversaid sleeve 15S. The conical sleeve or wedge 159 is tted to slide freelyon the sleeve 15S, and has a circumferential groove 165 for reeeivin gthe blocks, as 104, of a suitable wedge-actuating lever 105, which leveris pivoted at some suitable point, as 100,011 the frame-work, and has ahandle for operating the same. In Fig. 1 said wedge is shown in its idleposition on the right-hand end of the sleeve 15S,the friction-rings 129and 131 being disengaged. In Fig. S the wedge is shown driven toward theleft hand between the longer arms of the dogs or levers 156, the sleeve15S being forced toward the right hand by the shorter arms of said dogs,as will be understood by comparison of Figs. 1 and 3. This, actingthrough the key 12S and the rod 127, draws the carrier 132, togetherwith the ring 131 thereon, toward the right hand and brings said ring131 into engagement with the driving frictionring 129.

As shown in Fig. 1, the friction-rings stand apart, the wedge 150 is atthe right hand, and the clutch dogs or levers 15G stand with their longarms bearing against the outside of the sleeve 15S, while the short armsof said levers bear, as is shown, against the end of said sleeve. If nowsaid collar 152, instead of being fixed on the shaft S5, should by anymeans be forced toward the right hand, it is obvious Said colla-r wouldthen act, through the earrier 155, the levers 156, the sleeve 15S, andkey 12S, to draw the rod 127 toward the right hand, and thus bring thefrietionrings into engagement, as in Fig. 2. It will also be evidentthatif said sliding movement of the collar 152 be suitably effected byhand power, the clutch will thereby come under hand control and will beactuated independently of the above-described elutchactuating apparatus.For actuating the sliding collar as aforesaid, and thus operating theclutch, I employ devices wherein the connection between the hand-wheeland said collar is made through a part whose motion is a resultant oftwo motions, one being communicated from the hand-wheel and the otherfrom the driven mechanism. Said devices, in their preferred form shownin the drawings, consist of the sleeve 145, having thereon the gear 181,which meshes with the pinion 32, fixed on a hand- Vresponding sockets,as 10S', Fig. 1.

wheel. shaft $323, that is carried by the bearing 254, and is providedwith the wheel for operating said sleeve by hand. rlhe sleeve 145 reactsagainst the collar 142, and in practice a series of anti-frictionrollers or balls, as 146, may be placed in suitably-formed grooves,substantially as indicated in Fig. 1, for lessening the frietionalresistance at that point. The collar 142 is or may be clamped to theshaft S5 by the clamp-screw 143, by which means and by the aid of a pinor leverengaging suitable holes at 107 in the periphery of the collarsaid collar may be turned on the shaft and set thereon in any requiredposition in a well-known manner. The collar 142 should entera shortdistance, as indicated in Fig. 1, within the sleeve 145, thus furnishinga bearing for said sleeve, which at its righthand end is carried by therevoluble collar 147. rlhe torsion-spring 149, carried (preferably asshown) within the sleeve 145, engages at one end the collar 142 and atthe other end the collar 147, the torsional tension of said springbeing` regulated by adjusting the eollar 142 on the shaft S5.

A limited rotary movement of the sleeve 145 (including of course thegear 181 and the collar 147) on the shaft 85 is provided for by making anotch or keyway 151 in the collar 147, that is fixed to said sleeve andgear by suitable means-as, for instance, the pins 14S--or may be formedintegral therewith, the movement being limited by a key 150 fixed in thefeed-shaft. (See Figs 6 and 7.) In the face orrighthand end of thecollar 147 are sockets, as 108, and intlie face or left-hand end of theaforesaid sliding collar 152 are co1'- Thrustrods or braces 154 154 areset between said collars 147 and 152, being seated at opposite ends insaid sockets, respectively. The construction aud organization of theapparatus are such that when the collar 147 stands relatively to the key150, as shown in Fig. 0', the

thrust-rods 154 stand considerably oblique to the feed-shaft, asindicated in Fig. l; but the movement on the feed-shaft of said collar147 is such that on turning forward the collar by hand (the shaft 85 notbeing revolving) said thrust-rods 15-1- are carried to the positionshown in Fig. 2, nearly parallel with the feedshaft, thereby forcing thecollar 152 toward the right hand, and through the connectionshereinbefore described engaging the frictionring 1231 with thefriction-ring 120 on the driving-pulley. The collar 147 is normally heldin engagement against the key 150, as shown in Fig. (5, by thespringl-Q, said spring being under suitable tension therefor. On turningforward the collar 147 to the position indicated in Fig. 7, theadjustment of the parts is such that the friction-rings become firmlyengaged before or as soon as the key 150 comes to the opposite side ot'the aforesaid keyway 151. If now the collar 147 be actuated by hand, ashere set forth, while the pulley 09 is revolving in the direction of thearrow in IOO Fig. 2, it is evident that on the first engagement with thefriction-rings 131 129 the shaft S5 will be revolved in the samedirection as that in which said collar 147 was turned; the result ofthis will be to carry forward the right-hand end of the thrust-rods 1 54toward their positions in Figs. 1 and 3, thus immediately releasing saidfriction-ring engagement. If, however, during such movement of the shaftthe movement of the collar be followed up or maintained by hand, as setforth, it is obvious that the engagement of the frictionrings will bemaintained, notwithstanding the movement of the shaft S5. Thus theextent of movement of the shaft 85 is limited to and follows themovement of the collar 147, since any movement of said collar in advanceof the shaft movement engages the clutch for turning forward the shaft,and since, vice versa, any movement of the shaftin advance of themovement of said ccllardisengages the clutches and retards the movementof the shaft. By this means a perfect hand control ofthe feed-shaft isobtained, while the movement of the shaft is effected by power.

When the sleeve and the revoluble collar 147 stand in the positionsshown in Figs. 1 and 6, said collar bearing firmly against the stop-key150, the collar 152 is, as above stated, normally fixed on the shaft 85,since this collar is splined to the shaft and rests against thethrust-rods 154, which are seated in said collar 147. Said partstherefore f urnish,when in the position stated, a proper abutmentagainst which to operate the first-described clutch-rod-actuatin gapparatus. One feature of my present improvements relates to theconstruction and organization of the drivin g-pulley and itsclutches,whereby proper action of the clutch-rings is obtained,notwithstanding slight imperfections of construction. For this purposethe friction-ring 129 is seated on the web 102 of the drivingpulley in apeculiar manner, being centered or held in proper 'positiondiametrically of the wheel by the shoulder 109, and being supportedopposite to the friction-rings on a narrow seat 110. This constructionand mode of supporting said ring 129 makes available the elasticity ofthe ring for securing perfect engagement thereof with the ring 131. Theform adopted for the carrier 135 permits the use of 'a long hub for thepulley 90, and at the same time permits the friction-rings to loe bothsupported within the rim of said pulley, thereby securing a more compactorganization. The ring 131 being fitted to slide inlike engagement withthe periphery of the carrier 135, the pressure on the splines or keys136 137 is reduced to the least practicable quantity, since the radiusof the keysurfaces is then the greatest practicable. Thecarrier132,beingformeddish-shaped,substantially as described, outside ofthe carrier 135, is adapted to be slightly sprung by the tension of therod 127, so as to bring the ring 131, throughout thelength thereof,iirmly into contact with the corresponding ring 129, notwithstanding thenatural planes of revolution of said rings may for some reason-as, forinstance, imperfect construction-be slightly divergent.

For the purposes of the hand-controlled clutch-rod-actuating apparatusthe sliding collar 152 may be considered as ixedly connected to saidclutch-rod, since by the action of said hand-controlled apparatus themovement of said collar 152 is always coincident with that of theclutch-rod itself, the parts herein shown intermediate to said collarand clutch-rod heilig for a distinct purpose and not constituting a partof said hand-controlled apparatus.

It will be understood that the collar 147 is a principal element of thehand-actuated devices for sliding the collar 152 on the feedshaft, andthat the sleeve 145 is a subordinate element, which, together withcertain minor features operating in connection therewith, is in thenature of an additional improvement upon the principal and moreessential features ofthe invention. Thecollar142,forinstance,is madeadjustable, as set forth, on the feed-shaft for the purpose of readilytightening the torsion-spring 149; but said spring may be constructed ofsuitable size and tension, so as to require no adjustment, in which casesaid collar may be dispensed with. So, also,the collar 147 and thesleeve 145 may be constructed integral, the preferred construction ofsaid parts, herein shown and described, being adopted for the purpose offacilitating construction and to permit the use of different materialsfor the different portions thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a feed mechanism, thecombination, with the feed-shaft and the driving-clutch therefor, of theclutch-rod, a slidable collar carried on the shaft and connected to saidrod, a hand-actuated revoluble collar on said shaft, and one or morerods set obliquely between said collars, substantially as described.

2. In a feed mechanism, the combination, with the feed-shaft furnishedwith a drivingclutch, and a slidable collar connected to actuate saidclutch, of the revoluble collar, means for turning said collar on theshaft by hand, means limiting the rotary movement of said revolublecollar relatively to the shaft, and thrust-rods intermediate to saidcollars and set obliquely to the shaft, all substantially as described.

3. In a feed mechanism of the class specia fied, the combination, withthe feed-shaft carrying the clutch and having a slidable collarconnected to actuate the clutch, of the revo-l luble collar, thethrust-rods intermediate the revoluble collar and said slidable collar,means, substantially as described, for turning the revoluble collar byhand, and means limiting the turning movement of said revoluble collaron the shaft, the spring, and the springadjusting collar, substantiallyas described.

IOO

ITO

' 4. ln a feed mechanism, the combination, with the feed-shaft, and witha clutch connected for actuating said shaft, of the slidable collar 152,hand-controlled means, substantially as described, for sliding saidcollar by hand, and clutch-actuating apparatus, substantially asdescribed, intermediate the clutch-rod and said slidable collar, wherebythe clutch may be actuated by either said clutch-actuating apparatusthrough the same clutch-rod, substantially as described.

5. In a feed mechanism, the combination, with the feed-shaft and itsclutch and clutchrod, of the slidable collar 152, connected to theclutch-rod, the revoluble collar 147, have ing the keyway 151, the key150 for limiting the revoluble movement of the collar 1417, one or morethru strods,substantially as described, intermediate to said revolubleand slidablc collars, the t0rsionspring, means, substantially asdescribed, for adjusting the tension of said spring, and means,substantially as described, for actuating the revolublc collar by hand,substantially as described.

G. ln a feed mechanism, the combination, with the feed-shaft and aclutch connected for actuating saidA shaft, of a slidable collarconnected, substantially as described, for actuating the clutch, and twoclutch-actuating mechanisms, arranged one on each side of said slidablecollar, substantially as shown, one said mechanism beingl1and-control1ed and when not in use serving as an abutment for takingthe thrust of the other clutclractuating apparatus, substantially as setforth.

FRANCIS 1I. RICHARDS.

\\"'itnesses:

HENRY L. Recien-n), Il. MALLNER.

